A recent study from a Washington D.C.-based think tank, The Hamilton Project, has shed light on the significant role played by mothers with young children in driving a resurgence in female labor force participation. The study, conducted as part of the economic policy initiative of the Brookings Institution, pointed out that the labor participation rate for prime-age women has reached an all-time high, rebounding after a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research, conducted in recent months, revealed that among prime-aged women, defined as those aged 25 to 54, it is the mothers whose youngest child is under the age of five who are at the forefront of this resurgence in labor participation.
In a controlled analysis of the data, the study found that the growth in participation among mothers with young children since 2020 surpasses that of other prime-aged women, particularly when categorized by the age of their youngest child.
Additionally, the study identified other noteworthy demographic shifts, including the fact that both unmarried and married mothers with young children are increasingly participating in the labor force at similar rates. This shift comes after years of unmarried mothers consistently having higher labor force participation rates.
From 2016 through 2019, the average labor force participation rate for married women with young children stood at 63.2 percent, while for unmarried women with young children, it was notably higher at 72.6 percent. In contrast, during the first half of 2023, the labor force participation rate for married women with young children was 69.0 percent, and for unmarried women, it reached 72.1 percent.
This convergence was attributed to a sharp decline in the labor force participation of unmarried mothers in 2020, followed by an increase in both married and unmarried working mothers in the subsequent years, as illustrated by data graphs provided by The Hamilton Project.
The study emphasized that historically, labor force participation among mothers with young children has been lower than that of those without children or those with older children. However, it noted that this trend is changing, driven by factors such as tight labor markets, evolving norms surrounding work, and the necessity of working when children are young. The availability of work-from-home options, which make it more feasible for mothers to both take and maintain jobs, was also cited as a significant contributing factor.
In advocating for further progress in this arena, the study proposed the implementation of a “universal paid maternity leave” policy in the United States, a concept previously championed by the Brookings Institution and common in Western European countries. It highlighted that family leave policies enjoy broad support in the U.S., with a Pew poll revealing that over 80 percent of surveyed adults believe in paid maternity leave, while nearly 70 percent support paid paternity leave.
Notably, Catholic leaders have consistently expressed support for family leave policies, with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops encouraging efforts to establish paid leave policies for new parents in 2018. The Vatican itself offers a generous five-month maternity leave policy for new mothers and a three-day paternity leave policy for fathers welcoming new children.
